Homebrew Coleotera Species Details

 

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The Coleotera are a hardy, insectoid people native to arid deserts and vast badlands. Standing roughly human height, they carry a thick, layered carapace that protects them from scorching heat, blowing sand, and the claws of desert predators. Their bodies feature two primary arms and an additional smaller set beneath, used for manipulating tools, climbing, and performing delicate tasks while their main limbs stay ready for defense.

Wandering between oases, ruins, and wind-sculpted canyons, Coleotera travel in nomadic caravans, each made up of extended clans. Their survival depends on their ability to move efficiently through the harshest terrain—climbing jagged cliffs to escape predators, burrowing into soft sand to evade sudden storms, and navigating dunes that shift daily. Their culture prizes endurance, cooperation, and clarity of thought, seeing the desert itself as a teacher that rewards discipline and adaptability.

One of their most defining traits is their innate telepathy. Long ago, the Coleotera lived in enormous underground hives carved into sandstone. Deep within the twisting tunnels, sight was unreliable and echoes distorted spoken sound. To survive, the species evolved a natural psionic sense—an ability to send short-range mental signals. This instinctive telepathy allowed workers, scouts, and defenders to communicate silently in total darkness or during chaotic sandstorms above ground.

Although the ancient hive-structures have mostly fallen and the Coleotera now live as free-roaming nomads, their telepathy remains a cherished part of their identity. They believe it symbolizes the unity of the clan: a voice that cannot be silenced by wind, distance, or fear. Many Coleotera view spoken language as secondary—useful with outsiders, but never as trustworthy as the shared clarity of mind-to-mind communication.

Coleotera Traits

Creature type, Size, Speed, Extra limbs, Desert Carapace, Adaptive movement, Long-Range Telepathy, Languages

Creature type

Creature Type: Monstrosity

Size

Size: Medium (5-7 feet tall)

Speed

 

Speed.

Your base walking speed is 30 ft.

Climbing Speed.

You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Your hooked beetle claws allow you to scale rough surfaces with ease.

Burrowing Speed.

You have a burrowing speed of 10 ft. You can move through sand, loose soil, and similar soft earth. You leave a small tunnel unless you choose to collapse it behind you.

Extra Limbs

You have a secondary pair of smaller arms positioned beneath your main set.

You can use these secondary arms to manipulate objects, hold items, or perform somatic components, but they are not strong enough to wield weapons or shields.

You can stow or draw one item as a bonus action using the extra arms.

Desert Carapace

You have natural armor, giving you an AC of 13 + your Dexterity modifier while not wearing armor.

Adaptive Movement.

You can move through nonmagical difficult terrain without expending extra movement, thanks to your strong limbs and stabilizing lower arms. 

If you wear armour, you may still benefit from your carapace’s ability to ignore difficult terrain 

Long-Range Telepathy.

You don’t need to share a language for them to understand the basic meaning of your thoughts.

You cannot read their thoughts; it’s strictly sending messages.

 

Languages

Common and two languages